It was reported at a regular meeting of the Route 66 Association of Missouri over the weekend that the Old Route 66 Bridge at Route 66 State Park at the former site of Times Beach, Mo., will be torn down by the state Department of Transportation because it is too dilapidated.
Stephanie Howard of MoDOT confirmed in an e-mail today that razing the bridge is planned:
The bridge has deteriorated to such an extent that we must be concerned about safety. The underlying structure of the bridge is corroded and the bridge will collapse under its own weight within the next few years. The railings on the bridge make it unsafe for pedestrians to use at this time. At this point, it will be safer to remove the bridge completely than to wait for the bridge to collapse. Since this bridge has been recently listed on the National Register (of Historic Places), we will make sure that we photograph and document the bridge extensively prior to removal. That will ensure that the historical contributions this bridge has made to St. Louis will be able to be preserved. By documenting it, we won’t completely lose this important piece of Route 66 history.
I asked in a follow-up e-mail whether it was possible for the state to rehabilitate the structure as a pedestrian-only bridge and whether there was money to do so. There was no reply at the time of this writing.
Members of the Route 66 community are trying to contact Trailnet, which converted the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge in St. Louis as a pedestrian bridge, to see whether it can intervene.
The bridge must have deteriorated rapidly. First, the agency announced in September that load limits on the structure had been dropped. Then, in October, it was announced the bridge would be closed permanently. That’s despite the agency performing repairs on the bridge in November 2006.
Meanwhile, the bridge’s closing has put a crimp in the accessibility of Route 66 State Park, essentially cutting the main office from the rest of the grounds. There are ways to go to all areas of the park, but it requires two exits off Interstate 44, as this map shows.
I have relayed the concerns of everyone to Trailnet. I am also posting this link on my facebook page.
Sam Sanders
Chesterfield, MO
Please contact GORC http://www.gorctrails.com about this. There has been an extensive plan utilizing this bridge for expanding existing mountainbike trails and if there is a slight chance that it could be renovated for pedestrian use you would most likely have full support from GORCs large ranks of volunteers and members.